Website approved by Chapel Hill Town Council for Yates review in place of private investigation

Chapel Hill Town Council voted Monday to develop a website to act as a forum for discussion of the Nov. 13 police raid of the Yates Motor Company Building.

The approval of the website came after the council shelved a request from the community policing advisory committee to provide money to hire a private investigator to look into the police action, which many believed was overly aggressive and violent.

During the November raid, protesters were arrested after Chapel Hill police, armed with assault weapons, entered the abandoned Yates building to remove “Occupy Everywhere” squatters.

At the Jan. 23 council meeting, the council asked Town Manager Roger Stancil to come up with alternative proposals to the committee’s petition to hire an independent investigator, about which council members expressed financial and legal concerns.

The council approved Stancil’s website proposal, which will allow anyone with information about the incident to comment, in a 6-1 vote Monday night. The policing advisory committee has the authority to approve or deny the proposal and submit an alternative.

“If this process doesn’t work for CPAC, they should request a process that does work,” Councilman Jim Ward said.

The committee was tasked at a Jan. 9 council meeting to further review the events of the Yates police raid after Stancil released a review that found police action during the raid justified.

Residents have questioned the thoroughness of Stancil’s report, which relied on testimony of town police and officials.

Chapel Hill resident Jim Neal said he thinks there were glaring omissions from Stancil’s report and a private investigation is needed to provide clarity.

“It tells us why they did what they did,” Neal said. “It doesn’t tell us what they could have done.”

Stancil’s report states that the police made two unsuccessful attempts to communicate with those inside the building.

Carrboro Alderman Dan Coleman stated in a letter that “a uniformed CHPD officer and the protesters” spoke for about 20 to 30 minutes, but police did not ask them to leave or give warning of impending action, according to multiple accounts.

But Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said that a private investigator will not be able to provide any more answers than the police department, because they will lack the authority to compel people to talk.

“It’s like we’re going fishing and hired someone to find us worms, but they’re not allowed to turn over rocks,” he said.

Monday was also a court date for eight people arrested during the November raid. Seven appeared in Orange County district court.

Sonia Katchian, 63, of Chapel Hill, entered a prayer for judgement plea for misdemeanor delaying and obstructing a police officer.

The plea allowed Katchian to avoid admitting guilt or innocence and keeps the charge from appearing on her record, as long as she follows certain conditions set forth by the judge.

Katchian said she was offered two plea arrangements, but did not accept.

“I wouldn’t say I’m guilty because I wasn’t,” she said.

David Maliken, Ellen Crawford, Eva Jones, Monica Ganguly, Daniel Regenscheit and Jack Jarrell were granted delayed prosecution.

All were charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering.

Kassandra Ofray didn’t appear for charges of breaking and entering, and a warrant is out for her arrest.

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